


All I Think About

by OMsRandomWriter



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Additional Characters to be added in tags, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Adrien Agreste Acts Like a Cat, Adrien Agreste Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, And as we have no idea what the Peacock brooch looks like when the kwami is out I'm taking liberties, Background Relationships, Blood and Injury, But I'm still adding this tag:, Duusu is canoncally the Peacock Kwami, Emilie Agreste was Once a Miraculous Holder/Emilie Agreste Owns the Moth and Peacock Miraculouses, F/M, For my friends Neko Dream and Kanji, Getting to Know Each Other, Hard T soft M Rating, Hi I started watching Miraculous and the shipper in me is screaming, I just wanna write for every fandom I'm in r i p, I typed in that last tag and the last option was "As Rupenzel", Identity Reveal, It's currently on the fence so please tell me if it should be T or M, Learning how to deal with superhero powers, Major Character Injury, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Acts Like a Bug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Has Siblings, Minor Original Character(s), Miraculous Crew, Miraculous Tendencies, Miraculous fandom you ok there?, Note that I took French in High school and college, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, gracious use of Google Translate French, mentions of gore, sorry D:
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-19 01:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14864157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OMsRandomWriter/pseuds/OMsRandomWriter
Summary: Tikki and Plagg could only warn their new charges about what being Ladybug and Chat Noir meant. They couldn’t warn about the dangers of trying to balance being a hero and everyday teenager, nor could they warn about the consequences of being found out. Well, they could and did warn them of exposing their identities, but they didn’t expect for both of them to somehow slip up to one another. No other Ladybug or Chat had done so before, but then again, no other Ladybug and Chat were Soulmates.Funny how fate works, no?Otherwise Known As:Marinette’s and Adrien’s struggles on how they became proficient at keeping their powers and enhancements underwraps while doing their best to survive high school until an akumatized librarian indirectly makes Ladybug’s disguise drop first.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ;uiozdfklm x SPECIAL THANKS TO DREAM, NEKO AND KANJI FOR ENCOURAGING ME TO WRITE THIS.
> 
> Yes, I know this is a french show, and yes, I'm aware it's technically a kids show, but god damn, can I just... move to France??? The animation is so smooth, and there's a physics engine working in all the scenes and I just... I love this show so much already.

Marinette groaned as the alarm went off once again, but she finally sat up and turned it off, rubbing her eyes as she glanced around the room, trying to figure out what was wrong. She almost couldn’t place it… until she did.

“Since when did I have a jewelry box?” she asked aloud before the events of the previous days rushed through her mind, making her freeze with her hand touching the lid. She had taken the earings off after the second akuma, when it seemed like this “Chat Noir” seemed like he could handle it. They hadn’t made the same mistake and she ‘purified’ that weird butterfly before disappearing…

Could she really do this? Could she really be the new Ladybug?

“You don’t really have a say in the matter,” the little creature’s voice sudden squeaked out from her shoulder, making her jump. “The second you touched the Miraculous is the second that you were Enhanced. Even if you were to stop becoming Ladybug, you’d always be  _ Ladybug _ .” The teen sighed at that, opening the box to look at the earrings.

“What do you mean by Enhanced?” she finally asked.

* * *

Adrien yelped as he found himself once again tripping over his own feet, groaning as he barely managed to catch himself. “Plagg, what’s happening?”

“Oh, your body is just getting used to a new center of mass,” the kwami answered, sniffing the cheese the boy had asked for earlier. “It’s always funny to see the Chats fall those first few weeks.”

“But  _ why _ ?” he asked incredulously as he struggled to stand and not fall almost immediately, steadying himself on his desk. “I mean, I don’t have the ears or tail anymore, do I?” Oh god, he’d never be let out of the house! And even if he was, how would he explain it to his friends?

“Being a Miraculous Hero means you can’t be human, at least not 100% human. Once you’ve accepted your kwami and put on your Miraculous, you become Enhanced. Faster, smarter, stronger,  _ better _ than humans.” The teen looked at the other being, unsure what to feel.

“If my dad finds out I can’t walk properly, he’d never let me leave,” he groaned, hands going to where the cat ears had appeared just a day beforehand.  _ Cat ears… _ “Hey Plagg? Will I start showing any other, uh, cat tendacies?”

“You mean like purring and stuff?” the kwami asked, taking a bite of cheese. “The longer you are Chat Noir, yes.”

“How long will I be Chat Noir?” He huffed, slowly taking a step away from the desk.

“The last one stopped when he was 50,” Plagg answered, finishing off the last of that slice of cheese. “But back when we first started, it was until death.”

“Wait what? Really?” he asked, mentally backpedaling. “So we have retirement now?”

* * *

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say  _ retirement _ ,” Tikki corrected as Marinette raised another shaky hand, unsure on if she should go any higher. She was full on Spiderman at this point, near the top of her room sticking to the wall.  _ Residue Ladybug _ , the kwami had informed her. She tuned back in as the creature explained some more. “You’d still be Enhanced, that’s something that’s permanent, but if the next Ladybug gets injured or is unable to act, you’d be called up as backup.”

“And the other one, the Chat Noir?” she asked, arms stretched out as she slowly stoon, her vertigo going all over the place. “Wow this is trippy.”

“Well, Chats tend to be a bit more reckless, especially if they’re a Noir. He could’ve been a Flamme or Roux! The last Chat we had as Or.”

“And what about Ladybug? Does she change a lot?” The teen asked before taking a step and tripping over a photo frame, falling back down to the floor.

“ _ Marienette, are you ok up there darling? _ ” Her mother’s voice called, making her squeak out.

“Mom and Dad can’t find out!” she whispered, mainly to herself. “I’m ok!” Scrambling up, she grabbed her bag and glanced at Tikki and the earrings beside her. “I guess… it wouldn’t hurt to wear them… just in case.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warning(s): Brief mentions of possible Character Death, injury, mentioned gore
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> I think I need to bump this up to M, fook.

“How could I be so stupid?” Marinette groaned, head hitting the brick wall in a dull pain as she slowly slid down in the alleyway, clutching her stomach. “Tikki… why isn’t the suit good against knives?”

“Because of your Enhancements!” The kwami answered, though it didn’t stop her from fretting over the girl. “One of them for all Miraculouses is Healing, though Ladybug and Chat are always faster than the others.” The teenager grimaced as she felt another sharp pain, but yet, as she lifted her hand, it was as if there had almost been no stab wound. Only a small scar.

“Huh… that’s really cool,” she mumbled, unsure if it was safe to stand. “Do you think Chat Noir knows about this?”

“Unless he was in dire need to know, no,”

* * *

“Nnng,” Adrien was  _ not _ having a good day. He slept in, somehow got kidnapped, got into a car crash and ejected into a random field -- oh! And the worst two parts! He missed school and couldn’t risk transforming into Char Noir! Well, three parts, he supposed, not wanting to glance down at his chest, where he could  _ feel _ the glass and wood chips in him. “P-Plagg?”

The cat kwami floated out, taking one look at his hero before his green eyes went wide and he dove down, tugging at one of the pieces of glass. “You got to get these out of you Adrien,”

“But I’ll bleed out,” he protested as the first piece of sharp glass was pulled, a sharp stinging sensation before the pain from the wound essentially fled. “What?”

“Pull the rest out!” Plagg snapped, and the blond started to do as instructed, grimacing and letting out very cat-like hisses as he did so. 

“Why am I not, y’know, dead?” he asked as the final piece was pulled out and, for the most part, he was healed. His poor shirt though…

“Enhanced Healing,” the kwami answered, thought tensely. “You’re too far from Paris for Adrien to make it there before the polive find the crash site,”

“But not for Chat Noir?”

* * *

The whispers around school were impossible to ignore. Adrien Agreste had been kidnapped while on his way to school. The campus was on lockdown, and as Marinette hid in the bathroom stall, she glanced at Tikki imporingly.

“Are you sure we can’t go look? I’m not asking because of my crush on him; he’s a good guy Tikki! What if something happens to him and he gets akumatized?” The kwami hovered, looking as torn as she felt.

“I’m sure Chat Noir has it under control Marinette,” she said instead. “Ladybug can’t be seen coming from this school,” Marinette looked out the window, watching as a helicopter flew past before sighing.

“You’re right. I’m sure Chat Noir has it all covered.”

* * *

Chat Noir did  _ not _ have it covered.

With Plagg in the Miraculous, the teen was left to scramble a better way to run that didn’t involve him falling flat on his face.  _ If only Ladybug was here _ , he mused, once again taking off in a sprint, though his back kept trying to have him use his hands…  _ you are a cat are you not? They tend to have four legs to run with, not two _ .

Letting instinct take over, he suddenly found himself stablized, the leather tail behind him hitting bushes and trees, and he let a soft frown show at the realization that he could only just barely feel the tail as if it was another arm. Another thought entered his head; what if he tried running like this when he was Adrien and not Chat?

_ The press would just eat that right up _ , he thought with a snort, using a fallen tree as a springboard to jump over a small river.  _ Adrien Agreste Disowned After Running Around Like A Cat! _ Yeah, no he’d  _ never _ be able to do anything Chat Noir like around  _ anyone _ .

* * *

Ladybug all but squealed as she felt her Yo-Yo wrap around her and pull her down, leaving her hanging. At least this time she wasn’t stuck to that obnoxious cat. “If it isn’t my Lady,” she closed her eyes and groaned. Of all the days to have bad luck, it had to be  _ now _ ? “You didn’t have to get all tangled up for this Chat to play with,”

“Just help me out of this,” she huffed, wincing as Noir seemed to be unable to get enough of a grip of the string to loosen it.

“Whoa, this stuff is, like, sticking to you!” He commented, bracing himself against the lamppost and attempting to pull again.

“Where have you been?” She asked. “Have you found the Agreste boy?”

“Huh? Oh, yea he’s safe.” he answered. “Why is this so hard to pull off?!” He pulled, and yet, all that happened as that his grip slipped and he went tumbling a few feet away, making her giggle before she could stop it.

“Don’t try pulling from my face. I’ve been… sticky.”

“Hmph, at least you don’t have to run on four legs to be able to function,” he grumbled to her, using his staff to loosen the wire around her shoulders. She easily slipped out and called the Yo-Yo back, sparing Chat Noir a friendly  _ thank you _ grin.

“Gotta bug out now that the missing boy is safe.” she told him, motioning to her earrings, which had gone to four dots. “See you later Kitty!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bls don't disown me from this fandom, I've only just joined. XD


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of the inner-workings on how the Soulmate aspect ties into the story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA, THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME <3<3

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, Mister Agreste, may I speak to you after class?”

Both the boy and girl tensed up in their corners, sharing a worried, if embarrassed glance as the rest of the class filed out laughing. After everyone cleared out, the girl packed up first and slowly approached their teacher. “Yes, Miss Bustier?”

“I noticed that you tests scores, the both of you, are far beyond what they should be.” she began, making both of them cringe backwards slightly. “The last test in all your classes were supposed to be impossible, and yet,”

“I got a hundred,” Marinette murmured while Adrien gaped at her.

“I only got nintey-nine!” he half pouted. “Congrats on the hundo though.”

“I-uh- th-thank me, uh, you,” she stuttered, pulling her purse to her face as it burned bright red.

“Here,” their teacher gave them a stack of papers and grinned at them. “Have your parents read these sometime within the month. They’re papers that will allow you to skip a grade or two,” Marinette paused from where she had been thumbing through the papers, Tikki’s words coming through her head.

* * *

_ Faster, smarter, stronger,  _ better _ than humans. _

Adrien felt frustration build up in him before he sighed and took a mental step back. Father would be so  _ happy _ to hear that Adrien was  _ smart _ . But, truthfully, just how much was  _ Adrien _ and how much was  _ Chat Noir _ ?

He spared a glance at the flustered girl beside him, something in the back of his head nagging at how familiar she seemed… ah well. She was kinda cute at least. He had half the temptation to become Chat Noir and see if she'd talk to him then.

Maybe she'd ap- _ purr _ -ciate the puns he had to come up with. “I’m sure Father will sign these,” he said quietly. “Is that all Miss Bustier?” At the teacher’s nod, both lept out of their seats. “Marinette, right? Can I talk to you about something?”

The girl let out what could been as a very adorable squeak as she stiffened, looking at him with wide, panicked blue eyes. “I, uh, c-can’t?” she offered, already tongue-tied. “I-I gotta… I gotta help out at the bakery, y’know. No rest for the wicked, yeah!” The blonde watched as she all but fled, that nagging sense of familiarity still in him.

Where did he know her from…?

* * *

Looking in the mirror, Marinette lifted her shirt up enough to read the words on her stomach, the main reason why she could never wear less than two layers.

_ Well hey there, nice of you to drop in _ .

Chat Noir had told that to her little over two months ago, and all he’s done was flirt and make puns in between helping her save Paris from all the akumas that have been popping up. If she was being honest, there were a few times where they hesitated with splitting, and worse yet, she… almost wanted to have the Miraculous drop for the both of them,

But what if she wasn’t  _ his _ ? She’d seen it before, with her own mother and father. They weren’t WordMates like Chloe’s, and the blonde did her best to rub it in at every chance, and yet, you would never be able to tell that they weren’t. Her mother’s words were in cantonese, rude and demanding, but her father’s were her mother’s first words to him. He helped her leave the poisonous relationship and a few years later, she was born.

Sighing, she pulled her shirt down and flopped on her bed, throwing her arms over her head. “Tikki, what am I going to do?”

Instead of responding, the kwami was silent as she fluttered about her human. “No Ladybug or Chat ever matched once,” she finally answered, voice quiet. “They never interacted before aside from saving the world.” The kwami landed on her stomach, smiling up at the fourteen year old. “Does… it bother you? Being Tied to Chat Noir as both Partners  _ and _ Soulmates?”

“I… I don’t know Tikki. Chat Noir as a Partner is amazing and irritating. As a WordMate… What if he’s not acting like his civilian self? What if he’s like me when he’s not being Chat?”

“Kind hearted, selfless, willing to solve any and all problems without a thought of your own?” Tikki asked, making Marinette bit her lip and turn her head away. “Aw, don’t worry Marinette! I’m sure if you said something to him, Chat Noir would stop acting around you!”

“But…” she mumbled. “I like his puns and his-his stupid pickup lines, even if they could be timed rights and done more appropriately.”

* * *

“She’s just… so gorgeous,” Adrien sighed as he looked at the newest post on the Ladyblog, which had him shamelessly making gooey eyes towards Ladybug from the crowd as she carefully answered questions. “And we’re  _ WordMates! _ Or, at least, I hope we are. She certainly said my words,”

“ _ You _ ,” Plagg said, floating around his own little bed Adrien had made for him. “Are  _ hopeless _ . I hope your lovey-dovey feelings aren’t contagious, it’s making me feel sick.”

“But  _ Plaaaggg, _ ” he whined, rolling onto his stomach to stare at the cat kwami with wide green eyes. “I  _ love  _ her! She’s so brave, and courageous, and I just want to count all the freckles on her face…” he let out another dreamy sigh as the kwami rolled his eyes.

“Hopeless,” he repeated, though he did have a smile as he said this. “There’s never been a WordMate pair that’s been Miraculouses that compliment one another, especially with Ladybug and Chat.” Adrien couldn’t help but smirk at this -- Fate  _ obviously _ wanted them together!

_ Whoa, calm down their Adri, _ he thought, the smirk vanishing.  _ Too much Chat Noir right there. Maybe that’s why she’s not laughing as much? _

Absentmindedly, his hand went up to his left shoulder, where the now golden words sat, having previously been black.  _ Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose _ was the first words she had said, and now they would stay with him forever. He could feel the warmth, letting him know that Ladybug was still alive, even through his skin, making grin like the lovesick fool he was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small focus on yet another Enhancement and Adrien on how being Chat Noir sucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, near the end, focuses on Adrien being Chat Noir, and next chapter will focus on Marinette and being Ladybug, as well as a possible special guest with a familiar set of initials.

Marinette cringed at her closet door, which was only just hanging on its hinges. “Uh, Tikki?” she asked poking at the wood and jumping back as it fell. “What the  _ hell _ ?”

“You're stronger silly! Chat Noir must be having the same issue now; I wonder how Plagg is dealing with him.”

“Tikki, I can't control my strength!” the teenager half wailed. “What if I accidentally hurt someone? What if someone hurts themselves  _ because _ of me?”

* * *

“You'll only hurt someone if you  _ really _ mean it,” the kwami told him, devouring yet another slice of cheese. “Usually strength and speed come together.”

Adrian groaned and he combed through his hair, palms brushing his ears. “Plagg, I just got used to walking on two feet again. How many more of these enhancements are there?”

“Honestly, no one knows,” he shrugged, floating to the teens schoolbag. “Too many to actually count, but every Chat will only get a handful or so from the bag. You're luckier than Flamme. She had actual ears and a tail that she lost half of during one fight.”

The blond grimaced at that, but he could see his kwami’s point. “I suppose you're right. What about Ladybug though? She'll be fine, right?”

* * *

“So I have…  _ less _ things than Chat Noir?” Marinette asked as she walked down the street towards the school. “I won’t sprout antani or have two extra arms, will I?”

“Tehe, no, but there’s a chance that while you’ve activated your Miraculous that you’ll get wings!” Tikki giggled. “Then you and Noir can go flying about Paris!”

“You’re a hopeless romantic, aren’t you?” The girl giggled back before sparing a glance at her phone. “Oh no, I’m gonna be late!” A sudden, new type of energy filled her, and it seemed as if everything was a blur, all the way up until she was suddenly in front of the school,  _ in front of a breathless, shocked Adrien _ -.

Wait… breathless? Shocked? “Oh, uh, Hi,” he said, distracting her and offering a stunning grin that had her brain melt and knees go weak.

Feeling her face go as red as her Ladybug suit, she raced inside, doing her best to  _ not _ notice his green eyes and wonderful smile and how his nose scrunched up a little whenever he  _ did _ smile…

“You’re day-dreaming,” Tikki warned her quietly, snapping her from her sutpor. “Just ask him out!”

“I can’t,” Marinette mumbled. “He probably thinks I still dislike him from when he was pulling gum off the seat.”

* * *

All in all, their first field trip… wasn’t the best.

An akumanized botanist had thrown Chat Noir into a seemingly harmless clump of grass, and when Ladybug used the Miraculous Cure, she felt both a bit of dread and excitement bubble up in her as the destroyed sign was rebuilt to say the one thing Noir  _ probably _ should’ve stayed away from.

“Dude, was that  _ catnip _ Chat Noir had been throw into?” Alya gasped, snapping a picture of it. “He’s probably high as a kite right now! I wonder if I can figure out who he is now,”

“I dunno,” Marinette shrugged, mentally panicking. Would  _ she _ feel Chat Noir’s side effects? Oh, god, she hoped not. “It didn’t look like he came back to help Ladybug after he got tossed, but he used his Cataclysm, which means he’s probably already gone into his civilian form and left as soon as he could to recharge.”

“Huh, guess that’s true,” the other teen nodded, looking disappointed. “I’ll get him next time, that I swear!” She then marched off, allowing the girl to hang back as she looked around.

“Sorry Tikki,” she whispered to the kwami. “ _ Spots on! _ ” A second later, the red and black suit covered her civilian clothes and she carefully crawled into the catnip grass, grimacing as she spotted a black boot only a few inches in. “Chat! Chat Noir!”

“M’Lady?” The sleepy, or rather, drugged, kitty murmured. “Why does everything… smell good?”

“We need to move, now,” she ordered, jolting as hazy green eyes stared at her, mouth half open.

“You’re my WordMate,” he suddenly said just as she thought she had enough of a shock for today. “Am I yours too?”

Biting her lip, she chose to lift him up instead, all but tossing him into the nearest electrical closet. “Ask me again when you’re not high off your tail, you silly kitty.” she told him quietly, knowing he could hear it.

* * *

After everyone was accounted for, Marinette did a quick check over her classmates -- maybe the Miraculous Cure didn’t do injuries? She didn’t know, but she felt a pang of concern at Adrien’s dazed gaze before Nino took one look at him and stared snickering.

“Dude,” he whispered quietly, but her enhanced hearing helped. “Are you baked?”

“No, I’m burnt,” he replied, and while he was indeed a blistering red, he was also high. Very,  _ very _ high…

_ Almost like a cat and catnip _ , she half snickered. She didn’t even think of connecting the two to be the same person. Chat Noir, the ever mysterious flirt and punster, could  _ never _ be Adrien Agreste, sweet and charming teen model… There were probably flowers and plants wherever he hid that could have the same result.

* * *

Adrien rubbed his neck sheepishly as Nino made a few more 420 jokes, unsure just what  _ exactly _ happened. He remembered the Akuma tossing him into some… oddly sweet smelling grass that he accidentally rolled around in, and then everything after that was just…

Psychedelic. Did he imagine Ladybug over him, close enough to kiss, or was that just a hallucination? He had been tossed into a closet just as the detransformation process happened, so it was obvious she  _ had _ come back for him at one point. Sighing, he turned his attention to the bio homework, mind going 100 kilos as he mindlessly scribbled down the answers.

Ladybug  _ had _ to have been at the gardens, and yet, no one outside of the school had been allowed in. Did… Ladybug go to his school? How  _ awesome _ would that be? When he relayed his thoughts to Plagg, the Kwami let out a hesitant laugh.

“Y-yeah kid. That would be, ah,  _ awesome _ .”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets a surprise visitor not once, but twice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get this was supposed to be a chapter about how Marinette deals with acting like a ladybug, but... I got inspired by an animatic and... this chapter was born.

“Marinette!” Sabine called as she heard her daughter getting ready for school. “There’s a guest here to see you!”

“Maman,” Maur laughed as he saw his younger sister trip down the stairs, gaping at him. “Didn’t you tell her I’d be back?”

“Maur?” She whispered before launching herself at him, giggling as he hugged her back. “Maman and Papa didn’t say anything about you coming back! Aren’t you supposed to be in classes now?”

“You wound me sister!” He said, hand going to his heart. “I’m online classes only, remember? Or, at least, I  _ was _ until I noticed a certain someone else was coming to school.” He smirked at her furious blush. “When we were kids you two had such big crushes on one another, I’m amazed you haven’t kept in contact.”

“Well,” Tom said with a chuckle. “Are you going to tell her son?”

“Tell me what?” Marinette asked, eyes wide with excitement.

“I finished all my courses last week. As of today, I am a graduated man,” he answered with a smirk. “And like every other teenage University graduate, I’m moving back home.” She inhaled sharply, examining his face for any type of lies before squealing and hugging him tightly again. Maur had always been the smart twin, skipping grades nonstop when they were little. Now, at 14, he was out of college and no doubt going to make her life a living hell, but truthfully…

She didn’t care.

* * *

Adrien blinked as he stepped out of the limo, double checking his classmates. He… was he seeing  _ doubles _ ? Wait… he was, but the extra’s face…

“Adrien Agreste,” the boy chuckled as the blonde wandered closer curiously. “I’m surprised you don’t remember me,” Chloe let out a  _ tck _ and crossed her arm.

“And just why would  _ he _ remember you,-” she started.

_ Maur? _ He thought, mind short circuiting. When he was little, when his mother was still around, there were three other kids who used to come to the mansion. Twins and Chloe. He couldn’t remember the other girl’s name, but he’d know Maur anywhere, especially since the last few up-state photoshoots had been with a particular college… “I thought you were in classes,” he said, addressing the boy.

“Wait, you actually  _ know _ Maur?” Nino asked. “How?”

“Marinette, Chloe and I used to visit when…” Maur trailed off, glancing up at him. “I really am sorry about your mother.” Adrien grimaced slightly, ducking his head and glancing at the timid girl beside her brother.  _ Marinette _ , the girl who hated him… had been the girl he once wished he was always around. Ha, looks like everything went back to one big giant circle.

“It… it’s fine,” he replied, and the group shifted awkwardly. “So you’re back in Paris?”

“For the forseeable future, yes.” He put his arm around his sister and grinned at her. “I can’t exactly let this  _ little bug _ be all alone to fend off suitors during her high school years, now can I?”

* * *

Marinette did her best not to show her panic at her brother’s words;  _ Little Bug _ had always been his nickname for her. “Because that would be too merciful,” she countered, rolling her eyes.  _ Please don’t notice the earrings _ .

“And here it took Maman and Papa to let me cut my hair like this. How’d you manage to get  _ earrings _ ? When did you get them?” She saw Adrien, who was now a few meters away from them now, turn sharply, looking just as Maur lifted her stray lock to reveal the steel-grey stud. She knew that it turned red and black when she was Ladybug, however, and she also knew there was a high chance Chat Noir was in the area.

“Oh, about a month or so,” she hedged. “Class is starting soon; maybe you should go?”

The teen paused, still looking at her earrings before quickly tapping on a pin he always had somewhere on him; a peacock in various shades of grey. It looked… familiar almost. He leaned forward, giving a hug before whispering in her ear: “ _ We need to talk about accepting random gifts Marinette _ ” before leaving. She sat there, dumbfounded for half a minute.

_ Where had she seen that pin before…? _

* * *

Maur sat on top of Notre Dame, unsure of what to do. His sister was now Ladybug… and she had no idea that he held a Miraculous himself. “Duusu, what do I do?” He asked quietly towards the peacock kwami, who was sitting beside him. “Tikki is your sister after all.”

“Tikki would say that it would be best for everyone to remain hidden for now,” she answered. “Plus seeing as the current Guardian didn’t give you to me, she’d insist on having you return the Miraculous.”

“But I’ve had you for almost ten years and we haven’t done anything wrong yet!” he protested, making her smile sadly.

“Exactly. He made a mistake once, and gave the Chat Miraculous away to the wrong person. It’s how Nooroo and I ended up with Missus Agreste.” She smiled slightly. “And then how I chose you.”

“If you hadn’t chosen me, Duusu, what would’ve happened?” he asked, hazel eyes firmly sat on his sister’s school. “Would everything still be playing out like this?”

“Yes,” she answered before her gaze drifted.

“Feathers Splayed?” he asked, and at her nod, the brooch was activated, and a blue glow over took him.

* * *

Marinette gritted her teeth as she dodged yet another blow from “Arachnoid”, who had once been Jamie Trusdale, an American transfer student who had recently learned first hand just how sharp Chloe’s tongue was when she caught wind that Jamie had a pet spider.

Honestly, when will the girl learn that making fun of people would only get her killed? Rolling behind an over-turned table, she half-grinned as Chat Noir hit the wall, but landed beside her, looking a bit breathless. “Alright there Chat?” she asked.

“Only missing my breath from seeing your pretty face, my Lady,” he replied, and per usual, she rolled her eyes… at least until there was a noise from beside her, and both turned to see a new person clad in a shimmering blue-green armor, a scarf-like, one shoulder cape made of peacock tail feathers and a mask made of the same blue-green color covering his face and cheekbones, another tail feather extending from the top of where the nose was. “Who the hell-,”

“You’re another Miraculous,” Marinette interrupted, a sense of familiarity echoing off of him. “Are you with Hawkmoth?”

“I do not know that name; I only know that this…  _ akuma _ … is not all that she seems.” he replied. “I wish to offer my service, Ladybug, Chat Noir.”

“Who are you?” Chat demanded.

“I… I am Phantom.”

“ _ Mystery Phantom _ ,” Marinette whispered. “From upstate. Why have you come down here?”

“The Ladybug and The Chat have returned. All Miraculous Holders and kwami will feel a pull to find and join them.” he replied before pausing and drawing out a silver bow, plucking a feather from the cape as he did so. “I suggest we defeat the Akuma before we continue any further.”

“Right.” She mumbled, peeking out from around the table. “The akuma must be on her ring. We have to get it off.”

“ _ This _ feels close to home,” Chat Noir half joked, ears pulled back as he fiddled with his own miraculous. “What’s the plan, bugaboo?” Before she could answer, their cover was thrown to the otherside of the room and a wave of panic swept through her as she stared down Arachnoid’s eight eyes.

Before she became Ladybug, she used to  _ love _ spiders. Now? Something was telling her to scream and run the other way, to run and not be eaten. Using her yo-yo, she jumped to the rafters and gritted her teeth. “Chat Noir, you’re used to keeping your ring safe. Try to get hers. P-Phantom and I will distract her.”

The leather-clad teen smirked and winked at her before all three jumped into action, Marinette using her yo-yo to wrap around four of Arachnoid’s eight legs while Phantom shot off eight consecutive shots, the feathers twisted and creating a u-shaped pin for the other four legs. That… was useful. Or, at least until the akuma reached over, pulled on out and tossed it back to the archer, pinning his neck and forcing him to stop his bow to try and pry it out.

With the free leg, she knocked Marinette away and pulled off the yo-yo, which retracted back to her. “Ladybug!” Chat cried out, dodging an attack. He landed beside Phantom and struggled to pull the feathers out before he had to dodge a blow himself, making the other hero yelp at how close to his head Arachnoid had gotten.

_ No time like the present _ , she thought. “ _ Lucky Charm! _ ” As the swarm of magical ladybugs formed, she half wanted to cry at what she caught.  _ Why a rubber spider? _ Looking around, she saw an air duct, one of Phantom’s makeshift straps and a piece of string she had been using only minutes before the attack with a stray. “Chat Noir, the duct!”

“On it m’lady!” he replied, and with a cry of  _ cataclysm _ , the metal holding it up fell apart, and she tossed the toy spider, which now had the string attached, scurrying it to get Arachnoids attention.

“My baby!” She screeched out, scuttling forward and moving it away from the debris, to which the now freed Phantom slammed the two feathers around her arms, her shock allowing him to get the ring off and tossing it to her.

“You can’t keep doing this little akuma,” she said, snapping the ring almost too easily and opening the purifier part of her yo-yo, twirling it before capturing the fleeing butterfly. She let it stew for a second before popping it open, giggling as it landed on her nose for a second before flying off, no doubt back towards Hawkmoth. “Bye-bye little guy.” Gently taking the toy from Jamie’s confused hands, she threw it up with her traditional cry, watching as it dissolved into those magical lucky bugs, cleaning up any and all damage as they made their way throughout Paris.

“So… are we going to talk about the new guy or what?” Chat asked her quietly as they did their fist bump. Her eyes glanced over at him; he was rubbing his neck, but was gently talking to Jamie, who had a light blush on her face as she took his hand to help her stand.

“Or what.” she finally said. “Phantom’s known enough upstate that I can trust him.”

“But not as much as me, right bugaboo?” the black cat asked, green eyes blinking fast and lips slightly puckered as he leaned forward. As she booped his nose, pushing him back, their miraculouses beeped, making the both smile sheepishly.

“See you later for patrol,” she said, waving goodbye to everyone as she left. “That includes you too Phantom!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, the reason why Maur wasn't in the story before was because he got Duusu when he was 4, almost 5, which meant he had 10 years to be enhanced, which in turn meant he was one smart cookie and was able to go to college at around 12 (idk how things like grade-skips go in Europe, please bear through my American ways).
> 
> Maur is supposed to be a French boy's name meaning Peacock, and as Phantom, he can fly (but it's limited to how many feathers are left on his cape) use a bow (the feathers on said cape are the arrows) and the special ability is... something I haven't really thought of yet. It'll most likely be a type of foresight or a protection spell. Any preferences?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Big Reveal, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's currently 10:47 pm and I'm doing my best to update this on mobile while trying to keep my sanity... one of these things keeps crashing and it's not mobile.
> 
> Mmd. Silence is an Original Akumatized Person that I've based off of one of my old librarians. She was really funny and nice until one of the more bratty students legit defaced a book in front of her and the school staff and only she was appalled about it.

She wasn’t exactly sure when she started seeing the blue kwami hovering outside her door, or why it was always when Maur was downstairs helping out in the bakery and when Tikki was napping, but the teen couldn’t find it in herself to freakout like she had with her own kwami. Maybe it helped that she only came about when her Holder was unable to feed her.

“So you like sunflower seeds?” she asked, leaning on the railing of the balcony to talk to this Duusu. “Or will anything just work?”

“Anything works for all Kwamis, really,” she answered, voice a bit deeper and rougher than Tikki’s. “Truthfully I like honey, especially those honey rolls you brought up a couple days ago!” The bluenette giggled along side her and opened up a container, showing the rolls the kwami had just been talking about. “You’re the best!”

“Hehe, these are usually just an autumn thing, but if you keep coming back, I might have to adopt you and make them a year-round event,” she half joked, giving the kwami a little pat before letting out a sigh, not noticing how the trap door opened enough for Maur to look out. “I’m going to make a fool of myself tomorrow Duusu. I’m going to… to fuck it all up and no one will want to talk to me anymore.”

“It won’t be that bad,” the little peacock tried to explain, making Marinette shake her head.

“But… it _is_. I was supposed to have a hat and gloves to go with the scarf, but between the akumas, and school, and having to help out in the bakery as well as trying to find his favorite color… I haven’t even finished the scarf,” she vented, ending it with a groan as she slid to her knees and put her face on the bars. “I can’t even talk to him without turning into a stuttering mess and it makes me look stupid. He’s probably only talking to me because he pities me.”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Duusu started, looking fully angry. “No one, _no one_ should speak ill of anyone, especially themselves. Ad-This boy you like most likely likes you back too! I’m sure you’ll get the scarf done in time! I believe in you, and I know my sister does too!”

 _Her sister…_ “You’re Tikki’s sister?”

The kwami nodded, finishing up her roll. “We kwamis can sense one another. It’s why I try to only visit when she’s asleep.”

“But you’re starving yourself,” Marinette murmured, turning her gaze to the street below. A horn honked just as the trap door shut. “You can always come, no matter what, ok? So long as you don’t say who Phantom is, I can help keep you fed.”

“Marinette,” Duusu sighed. “It’s only when he gets busy that I come by. I’m sure I won’t need to be here tomorrow.” Marinette’s heart squeezed as she wave a farewell to the other kwami before going back into her room, eyes going to her messy work station, a grin coming to her face.

“Let’s get to working,” she murmured quietly.

* * *

 _Talk to him like he’s Chat Noir_ , she thought before mentally cursing as she remembered the akuma they had taken down friday, and how he had pulled her to him so they could both hide safely. He had such a flirty smirk, and with the way his eyes glinted. _Ok, bad idea Marinette. Don’t see him as Chat. Oh god I can’t get the mental image out of my head!_

“Yo, girl, you ok?” Alya asked as she kept glanced between Adrien and the present box. “You look like you’re about to kneel over!”

“I can’t do this Alya. You know how bad my luck is around him! What if the present gets ruined or he doesn’t like it?”

“You worry too much Marinette.” Her best friend scoffed before grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the steps. “Here, you can do it. I’ll be watching right here!”

* * *

She was doing her best to not feel bitter about the scarf, really. So long as Adrien smiled like that, she would keep her annoyance to herself. She had a free period before Maths, and she was going to use it to her advantage, heading up to the library and finding her little alcove on the second floor no one could get to. Well… only _enhanced_ people could get to it.

Sighing, she opened the window in the alcove and laid her head next to the flowers in the bed, which were a white and purple type of lilac and some white petaled, yellow centered flower she later found out was a thrum-eyed primrose. Rolling her head to the side, she inhaled the scents and let out a quiet, happy noise. She always loved smelling flowers, but now… it was almost mandatory for her to stop and admire them, so when she found this little safe haven from Chloe, she was in love. So what if she was the only one who tended to these plants? She knew enough to keep them beautiful and blooming.

Hearing giggles from the bottom half of the library, Marinette sighed and closed the window before sliding down to the table that held her stuff. She heard Miss Loreli let out a soft “quiet please”, and when Chloe’s voice rose up, the teen felt like crying as she slowly reached for her purse, where Tikki was sleeping. The blonde girl had a nasty habit of helping Hawkmoth akumatize people, and while Miss Loreli was strict, she was also very kind and would be a very harsh akuma to defeat. The nice ones always are.

“ _Tck, as if_ you _can tell_ me _what to do! You’re just some unloved nobody who smells of musty old books. You’re always alone. I bet you’ll die alone._ ” Chloe’s voice echoed, and Marinette sighed, grabbing her purse.

“Tikki,” she said, doing her best to note the cookies in the small to-go bag. The little kwami was still asleep, though she seemed a bit more awake. “Tikki! We need to suit up. Chloe struck again.”

“Are you sure she isn’t working _with_ Hawkmoth?” the little god grumbled, cranky for having been woken from a good nap. Marinette let out a huffy laugh before shrugging, tensening as she saw the black butterfly a second too late as it was absorbed into her necklace.

“To be honest, I’m not quite sure which side she’s on,” she remarked, watching in a horrific fascination as a black and purple smoke overtook the librarian, leaving behind…

“I am Mademoiselle Silence, and you _will_ ,” she watched as she turned her gaze to Chloe, putting a finger to her lips. “ _Be_ **_quiet_ **.” The girl opened her mouth, but nothing came out, not even a strangled noise. A few others -- Kim, Max, Alix and Rose -- tried backing out of the room, but even their footsteps on the floor has Mmd. Silence snapping around and shushing them too.

Quietly creeping back into the corner, where the furniture blocked any clear view of her, she nodded to the Ladybug Kwami who flew up. “Spots on Tikki,” she whispered, and when she opened her eyes, she was covered in a familiar feeling of red and black spandex. Doing her best to sneak out the window, she crawled alongside the ceiling, flipping into one of the windows as students looked at her in shock. Putting a finger to her lips, she spared a glance at the door, missing the starstruck look her crush was giving her. “Everyone needs to _quickly_ and _quietly_ evacuate the building,” she said, voice no louder than a whisper. “There is an akuma loose in the building and she has the ability to take away any and all sounds. Please, do not linger.”

She climbed back outside and went from classroom, warning them to stay as quiet as possible and to wait until the room before them was empty before leaving.

“So, rumor has it you’re jailbreaking the kids inside m’lady,” Chat Noir’s voice said from right beside her, almost making her lose her grip in the building. “Impressive skills!”

“Chat Noir, be quiet!” she hissed. “Mademoiselle Silence can hear everything, and our powers require our voices!” He raised his hands in surrender before making a zip-and-key motion, which in turn made her smile and duck her head as to not giggle.

* * *

“So how did you figure out about her?” he asked as they watched from the roof some few minutes later, having helped the last few people outside.

“I was on patrol and couldn’t catch up to the akuma in time, because I _totally_ **_do not_ ** go to this school,” she nervously lied. The akuma finally left the school, and the two watched as, for the most part, she appeared to go home…

If she wasn’t holding her hand to her mouth, that was. Silence followed her, and they leapt from rooftop to rooftop. “How are we doing this LB?” he asked as she went into what seemed to be the resident Akuma Hotel.

“The Akuma is in her necklace, but the chances of being able to get it and not be Silenced is impossible… Maybe it wears off?”

“Or maybe if you’re shushed as your civilian self it doesn’t work as your Miraculous self?” he offered with a sly grin, which in turn got him a slightly exasperated look, but he did have a point.

“Nice try Kitty, but you’re not finding out who this Ladybug is just yet,” she said, hooking her yo-yo to the side of the building and swinging over, leaving behind a pouting Chat Noir.

Not once did it click that Phantom had yet to show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: whenever it gets finished.

**Author's Note:**

> How am I doing? Good? Bad? Please comment and let me know!
> 
> Alternatively, go bug me on tumblr at omsrandom.tumblr.com! I usually post fandom stuff, but I do have a few fandom ask-blogs I run. Send me asks or stuff on there.


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